Well there's stuff in the old testament that gets trumped by the law that Jesus brought. Mainly the things in Deuteronomy that involves stoning other people and making them walk on hot coals. They don't really fall in with Jesus law of forgiveness and they certainly don't fall in with his teaching that only the lord shall judge those who have done wrong. It is not up to us.

Here's the thing about that... God gave the Israelites those laws at the beginning, but when Jesus came, it ended the old covenant and began a new one, thus nullifying all of those laws in the Old Testament. Basically, they just didn't apply anymore. It's not that it doesn't fit, it's just, God changed the system!

And yes Lorna, it does say in the Bible that we should pay our taxes, but it's not in Romans 15... It's in Mark 12:17 as well as in some of the other Gospels. And as far as 1st Timothy goes, have you got a chapter and verse for that statement?

I get what you say about the covenant David. Absolutely right there but does Romans 3v31 not emphasise the importance of still upholding the law. (by law here I'm talking OT law and the law of the Jewish covenant, God's law, not legal politics)

I think that's refering more to praying about world conditions, so that Christians could be free to practice their religion, not necessarily praying that Bush makes good desicions in Iraq, but that Bush doesn't make it so that all muslims, everywhere, hate Christianity... See what I'm saying?

Also Lorna, you brought out that we need to take things in context, so as far as Romans 3:31 goes, if you start at verse 27 it becomes clearer. More or less says that we're under the law of faith, not the OT laws. Actually, if you read the whole chapter, everything Paul was saying makes a lot more sense...

Interesting. So you don't believe in the reinterpretation of the Bible to make it more relevant to the modern world then?

Why would I believe that? I look out of my window and say, "Anyone who could create this universe and everything in it is worth taking seriously..."

Reinterpreting the Bible to make it more "relevant" can be illustrated thus: If you were diabetic, and your doctor told you to stay away from certain foods, would you dismiss what he said because it's not "relevant" to your personal tastes?

I think when people take the bible literally it's STUPID, yes STUPID, for all we know, someone could pick up a copy of Harry Potter in 100000 years time and say "He is god..." It's foolish.

Everything that happens these days is so well documented that such a thing could never happen in regards to Harry Potter... But as for the first part of that, the Bible isn't just Aesop's fables for fanatics, it's a collection of historical events and prophecies... None of the prophecies haven't come true...

Why? I don't hate them. In fact, I have several friends that are homosexuals. I don't talk it down or anything. I just don't believe that it's right...

Everything that happens these days is so well documented that such a thing could never happen in regards to Harry Potter... But as for the first part of that, the Bible isn't just Aesop's fables for fanatics, it's a collection of historical events and prophecies... None of the prophecies haven't come true...

First, I wasn't looking for a argument over Homosexual I was merely stating that it's pretty controversial to say you think it's wrong. love is love.

I was joking on the Harry Potter front, obviously that could never happening, just stressing that in my opinion the bible is fictional. I truly cannot be arsed to go down the religion route of things.

What he said... Actually, the Bible burned science at least 3 times... And anyone who knows me, knows that I am an avid student of all things astrophysical... I love science, yet I believe the Bible... I'm not a walking contradiction...